Chapter 72

“Meow—”

Sitting in the front right seat, Lu Ce hadn’t even processed what was happening when he saw a blur of movement. The tabby cat in his arms had already leaped out, colliding mid-air with the monster fish, stopping its attack on Shu Fu.

Chen Fa’s shovel came down just in time, smashing the fish into a bloody mess.

She had been fighting for a long time, and that last strike drained her of all strength. She had to lean on a seat beside her, panting heavily.

Chen Yuezhen helped Lu Zheng pull the bus door shut, then walked over and patted Chen Fa on the shoulder. “Your stamina still isn’t enough. More training for you.”

Chen Fa: …

After speaking, Chen Yuezhen drove the axe blade into the fish, lifted it, and threw it out of the shattered window. The other monster fish that had jumped inside were also dealt with. As the bus picked up speed, the creatures outside could no longer keep up, and for the moment, the interior was safe.

No one cared about the filth or the stench; they all collapsed into their seats, gasping for breath.

While driving, Shu Fu glanced at the rearview mirror and saw Chen Fa giving her a thumbs-up.

She turned her head to the right and found Lu Ce looking at her too. When he met her gaze, he immediately grinned. “Sister Fu Fu, you’re amazing! Sister Fu Fu forever!”

“Meow, meow, meow…” The tabby cat, feeling quite proud of its heroic act, sprawled across Lu Ce’s lap, meowing enthusiastically in Shu Fu’s direction.

Shu Fu said nothing. She reached into the backpack by her feet, discreetly pulled out two sausages, and tossed them to Lu Ce—one for the cat, one for him.

The people in the bus didn’t get much rest. Just as Shu Fu had predicted, the monster fish spread through the sewers, their numbers and movements unpredictable. While those on the surface remained oblivious, the entire city of Lucheng had already fallen.

At first, there were only one or two scattered fish, strays that had gotten separated from the main swarm. Emerging from sewer openings, they crouched in street corners or lay motionless in the rainwater. Their grayish bodies blended seamlessly into the surrounding debris and filth. Even if people passed by, they wouldn’t notice unless they looked closely.

When a refugee finally noticed something unusual and went to check, they discovered a fish on the ground. Their first reaction was to assume someone had dropped it while returning from a trade station.

About a month ago, dried and fresh fish had occasionally appeared at Lucheng’s trading stations. Rumor had it that a small team had found a stable supply and regularly brought batches in for trade.

The flooded southern suburbs of Lucheng had once been dry land. But after merging with the Qinghe tributary, the waters became murky, littered with building debris and garbage. The fast-moving currents made it rare to see fish.

Chen Fa had no idea that while fish meat was nothing special in Hexi Town, in Lucheng, it was highly sought after.

So when someone spotted a fish lying on the ground, they instinctively bent down to pick it up—only for the “food” to suddenly open its jaws and lunge.

Some bit off fingers in one swift chomp. Others leaped onto faces, tearing flesh from cheeks.

In an instant, the food chain was flipped upside down. Blood sprayed as humans screamed and flailed desperately. Some, lucky enough to have companions nearby, were saved at the last moment.

But others, whose cries of agony only attracted more monster fish, were quickly swarmed. The moment they fell, they never got up again…

The screams gradually died out. Blood spread rapidly in the rain, its scent luring even more monster fish.

Several streets away, another trading station.

Trading Station No. 1 was closed today. It wasn’t a trade day, so the grand doors of the library—where the station was set up—remained shut. But inside, it was packed. Members of the large faction that controlled the station were lounging around, playing cards to pass the time. Their wagers consisted of food and water rations.

Since joining the faction, these men felt that life was even more indulgent than before the world fell apart.

Just a couple of days ago, a small team that regularly brought salt and purified water to Lucheng had desperately been seeking fuel. Even after being given a price, they hesitated, trying to shop around for better deals. In the end, they even considered selling to Trading Station No. 3.

That night, a few of the guys went and smashed up their two vans. Just some lousy modified minivans—honestly, if they hadn’t been customized, they wouldn’t have even bothered looking at them. How dare those people try to pull a fast one?

Now, those traders had no vehicles and no fuel. They could either walk back home or try hitching a ride from the city’s bus station. Trading Station No. 3 might point them in the right direction, but they sure as hell wouldn’t arrange transport for them.

Meanwhile, at Trading Station No. 1, everything was already set. When the traders showed up at the station looking for a ride, they’d send people with them—straight back to their hideout. Once there, they’d seize their purified water, salt, and even the people themselves.

They’d keep a few women for themselves, report the rest of the spoils to the higher-ups, and secure an even stronger position within the faction.

The men played their game, basking in the flattery of those around them.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang, bang, bang at the library door.

“Closed today! Get lost!” one of them shouted impatiently.

Everyone in the city knew Trading Station No. 1 never opened on rest days. No exceptions.

But the knocking continued, relentless, as if the person outside had a death wish.

Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!…

No one knew what the person outside was using to knock on the door, but the sound carried an unsettling, sticky sensation—like something wet and slimy was being slapped against the door.

“Got some guts, huh?” Finally, someone lost their patience. He grabbed a machete from the table and stormed toward the entrance.

The small access door of the library creaked open. Outside, the rain poured, but no one was there. The man cursed under his breath, sensing something was off but unable to pinpoint exactly what. He leaned out into the rain to take a better look, but still, there was no one in sight.

Just then, the eerie pa! pa! sound echoed again, this time right by his feet. He looked down—

A row of dull gray fish lay sprawled at his feet, their ugly heads raised as if staring at him. Their long tails twitched back and forth, smacking against the door and the wet ground, producing that same unsettling noise.

Plop—

Plop. Plop…

“What the hell is this?!” The man shouted. Then—

“Ahh! It’s biting me! AHHH—DIE, YOU MONSTER—AHHHHHH!!”

The screams at the doorway turned shrill, soon accompanied by the thick, metallic scent of blood.

The men at the table immediately realized something was wrong. They grabbed their weapons and charged toward the entrance, only to be met with a horrifying sight.

The man who had just been playing cards with them was now half-sprawled on the ground, desperately crawling toward them. Half of his face was stripped of flesh—his eyeball, teeth, and jawbone were fully exposed. Strips of bloody muscle clung to his white, skeletal structure, dripping fresh blood that had already stained his clothes.

Yet, he was still alive. Upon hearing footsteps, he stretched out a trembling hand as if begging for help. His sleeve was in tatters, his forearm covered in mangled flesh, with a chunk of meat barely hanging on. Two gray fish were flopping and gnawing at the dangling flesh…

His back and legs were covered with the same grotesque fish, all of them madly tearing into his body.

One of the men gagged, the gruesome scene making him vomit on the spot.

Another gritted his teeth, clutching his weapon as he charged forward. But the moment he struck, the monstrous fish shifted their attention toward him, and soon, he was locked in a desperate struggle.

Beyond the open library doors, more plopping sounds rang out.

A new wave of fish had arrived.

For them, this was feeding time.

---

Ten minutes later, only two people managed to escape from the library. They ran for their lives, dodging the fish that relentlessly pursued them in the rain. Their goal was to reach their team and call for help.

But before they could get close, they saw figures frantically running toward them from the opposite direction. That’s when they realized—

The roads around them were completely overrun.

Countless fish hopped and lunged, tirelessly attacking anything that moved. Their sheer numbers made the two survivors’ legs go weak with fear.

From the building where their team resided, the sound of gunfire and explosions erupted. On the third floor, part of the wall blasted apart, and a bloodied figure plummeted from above.

Even as he fell, his body was still covered with writhing fish, their jaws relentlessly tearing into his flesh.

Down below, a man rushed out of the building, screaming, “I’LL KILL YOU ALL!” as he fired wildly at the monstrous fish. Many were shot dead, but in the chaos, his bullets also hit several of his comrades.

Those who were only slightly wounded initially collapsed, becoming easy prey. The remaining fish wasted no time, swarming and devouring them alive.

Meanwhile, even more fish were leaping out from the sewers.

The man’s ammo ran dry. He tossed his gun aside and pulled out a dagger, preparing to fight to the death.

All around him, the city had descended into complete chaos.

---

The two survivors from the library abandoned all else, searching for an escape route. When they found one with fewer fish, they didn’t hesitate. They kicked aside a teammate who was crawling and begging for help, then sprinted forward with everything they had.

They crossed an open square, ran past two streets, and at the intersection, they saw salvation—

A bronze-colored bus speeding toward them.

Desperate, they waved their weapons frantically in the air, signaling the driver to stop.

The driver, a man with braided hair, had sharp eyes. From a distance, he recognized the two men blocking the road.

Behind them, more fish were emerging from the streets, lunging at them as they fought to stay alive. Their desperation was palpable. The bus was their only hope.

They had to make it stop.

Not only that—once it stopped, they planned to hijack it.

They started unbuckling their backpacks, pretending to offer gold and medicine in exchange for a ride. But their plan never had a chance.

Because the driver and the people inside the bus didn’t just recognize them—

They had an old score to settle.

Braided-Hair tightened his grip on the steering wheel and shouted to the passengers, “HOLD ON TIGHT!”

Then, he slammed the gas pedal to the floor.

The bus shot forward.

BANG! BANG!

The two men in the road were hit directly, their bodies flung aside. The bags they were holding burst open, scattering gold and medical supplies across the ground.

In his final moments, one of them suddenly recalled—

Oh… That braided-hair guy…

He was from the team whose two modified vans we smashed…

---

Ten minutes earlier

Shu Fu hadn’t driven far before she stopped at an intersection where the fish couldn’t catch up for the moment. She switched seats with someone from Lu Zheng’s team, who had been prepared for this in advance.

Her official reason?

She wasn’t familiar with the roads in Lucheng and didn’t know the way to Salt Lake.

Lu Zheng and his people had made multiple trips there before.

So naturally, they should be the ones driving back.

But in truth, the real reason was that she couldn’t be sure whether she would suddenly find herself trapped in an inexplicable loop while staying in the vehicle.

Based on past experiences, if a barrier appeared while others could pass through normally, she would be forcibly expelled from the vehicle she was in. She might end up right where she had been or randomly reappear on a nearby street.

But this time, she had no intention of getting off the vehicle alone and separating from the group.

Firstly, this mission was tied to Lu Zheng. Since she had been able to leave Hexi Town because of the mission, she should theoretically be able to leave Lucheng as well—unless her mission involving Lu Zheng was already considered complete. But instinct told her that wasn’t the case yet.

Secondly, the world was already in chaos. Apart from Fengshang Plateau and a few other provincial districts, most of Huagou, including this region of Lucheng, had long since fallen into disorder and was no longer under official control.

Given the current situation, even if she were to vanish into thin air right in front of the others, it wouldn’t cause her any fatal trouble. She had a personal protective shield, along with a raft’s remote-controlled shield, allowing her to completely conceal herself and erase her presence.

To put it bluntly, if the bracelet both required her to complete missions and simultaneously obstructed her actions with barriers, she could just find a body of water, hide out in her floating island house for a while, and disappear altogether.

After all, she hadn’t been back there for days, and she dearly missed her little home.

Changing the driver was merely a precaution—just in case she did get glitched out of the vehicle suddenly. At the very least, this would ensure that the bus wouldn’t crash and that the others could safely escape Lucheng.

Yet not long after switching drivers, the bus was ambushed.

Xu Tingfeng, who had been repairing the windows on the right side of the vehicle with scrap cardboard and waterproof plastic, immediately recognized the two people blocking the road. He coldly instructed Braid Head, “Speed up. Run them over.”

Then—bang, bang! Two dull thuds sounded as blood splattered onto the bus’s windshield, only to be quickly washed away by the rain.

Shu Fu glanced at Lu Zheng’s team members, including Lu Ce. None of them showed any hesitation or sympathy. They had long since grown used to facing life and death and wouldn’t waste their emotions on unnecessary people.

As Shu Fu assessed the others, Xu Tingfeng was also observing her and her two companions. Chen Fa and Chen Yuezhen had already finished fixing the left-side window. They sat leaned back in the middle rows, watching the road warily through the intact glass, keeping an eye on the monster fish outside.

As for Shu Fu—just as Xu Tingfeng’s gaze shifted to her, their eyes met.

Thinking about everything that had happened today, he spoke up again, seriously thanking her.

He expressed his gratitude but didn’t ask where she had gotten the fuel and the bus. The vehicle itself wasn’t hard to find—there were still unmodified, damaged vehicles scattered around Lucheng. With some searching, one could find one.

The real key was the fuel.

He had checked earlier; the fuel gauge showed half a tank. Given the nature of the factions in Lucheng, there was no way they would have overlooked such a large fuel tank and left so much fuel inside.

And then there was that red liquid—reeking of an odd, fishy stench, yet somehow able to repel the monster fish…

This young woman was full of mysteries. He was certainly curious, but he wouldn’t pry too much. As long as she wasn’t hostile toward them, he knew when to stop.

Conversely, if she ever became their enemy, that would be the real problem.

He hoped that day would never come.

The world was already difficult enough—natural disasters raged unchecked, and now there were these land-dwelling, man-eating monster fish. If humans couldn’t even stand together, their destruction wouldn’t be far off.

By now, all the broken windows on the bus had been temporarily patched up. Braid Head was driving, while Big Guy sat in the front right seat, monitoring road conditions to assist with navigation.

Not all areas of Lucheng were infested with monster fish. Some places had none at all. But then the bus would turn a corner, and they would suddenly find the roads teeming with frenzied fish, bouncing wildly in pursuit of fleeing humans.

They soon saw other vehicles evacuating. Many people had barricaded themselves indoors, trying to withstand the attacks.

Some factions had flamethrowers—devastating weapons in normal circumstances—but the heavy rain rendered them nearly useless. The flames barely scorched the fish before being extinguished.

Elsewhere, people were outnumbering the monster fish and had managed to kill some. However, in the heat of battle, some had been wounded. Overcome with rage, they hacked furiously at the dead fish. One man, bloodied and seething, suddenly grabbed a chunk of fish flesh and bit down viciously, screaming, “You bit my son! You bit my wife! I’ll bite you to death! I’ll eat you—ugh…! Eat you—ugh…!”

The fish’s insides reeked horribly, causing him to gag even as he kept chewing, lost in a fit of madness.

Lucheng was in utter chaos.

The bus struggled forward through the turmoil. Finally, after over an hour, they successfully left the city, merging onto the northern provincial highway, leaving all the disorder behind them.

Shu Fu remained silent, curled up in a right-side seat at the back of the bus. Only when she had truly left Lucheng along with the bus did she quietly breathe a sigh of relief.

As expected—if they wanted her to complete missions, there was no way they would confine her to Lucheng.

She stretched her arms lightly and gave a lazy yawn before taking off her raincoat. It seemed that this map was somewhat special—expanding quietly as the mission progressed.

Outside the bus, the rain intensified, blurring the windows with misty streaks.

Inside the bus, Xu Jiechu was completely unconscious, sprawled in the middle of the aisle like a dead pig.

Lu Ce sat in the seat next to him, and at some point, a tabby cat had settled on top of Xu Jiechu, using him as a cushion, perched arrogantly while dozing off.

The gaunt-faced man sat behind the driver’s seat, where there was more space. With the help of the bald man—one of Xu Jiechu’s lackeys—he was struggling to remove his pants so the other could tend to the bite wound on his calf.

Chen Fa opened his backpack and took out some bread and a sealed bottle of drinking water, handing them to Chen Yuezhen and Shu Fu, signaling them to eat and replenish their energy.

Shu Fu accepted the bread and water while also passing two chocolate bars in return.

From the seat in front of her, Xu Tingfeng caught a glimpse of this from the corner of his eye and turned his head slightly.

Shu Fu then took out another chocolate bar and handed it past Xu Tingfeng to Lu Ce.

“Thank you, Sister Fu Fu!” Lu Ce accepted it obediently and thanked her sweetly. He tore it open and took only one bite before offering the rest to Lu Zheng.

“Be good, eat it yourself,” Lu Zheng declined, ruffling his younger brother’s damp hair before retrieving a dry piece of clothing from his waterproof backpack, handing it to Lu Ce to dry his hair. Then, he grabbed his backpack and walked over to Xu Tingfeng, gesturing for him to extend his leg so he could treat his wound.

Among everyone on the bus, Xu Tingfeng’s injuries were the most severe. The gaunt-faced man had only been bitten, while Xu Jiechu’s wounds were similar to Chen Fa’s previous injuries—stabbed by a tail stinger, rendering him paralyzed and unconscious.

But Xu Tingfeng had suffered a vicious attack—the monstrous fish had torn out a chunk of flesh from his calf before it died.

Lu Zheng took out a dagger and cut open Xu Tingfeng’s pant leg, untying the makeshift tourniquet that Braidhead had used for emergency treatment, exposing the gruesome wound. Fortunately, when they came to trade, they had managed to barter for some medical supplies, which were now coming in handy.

He first rinsed the wound with clean water, then disinfected it with iodine before applying gauze and securing it tightly with bandages.

Throughout the process, Xu Tingfeng remained silent, as if he felt no pain. Only the death grip of his fingers on the bus seat betrayed his true suffering.

Once everything was done, Lu Zheng handed him the remaining half-bottle of water, signaling for him to close his eyes and rest. For now, they were safe, and he no longer needed to force himself to stay on high alert.

Xu Tingfeng, lips pale, accepted the water and nodded. He trusted Lu Zheng. After muttering a brief request to wake him if needed, he leaned against the seat and closed his eyes.

---

After leaving the outskirts of Lucheng, the bus veered westward into the mountains, climbing higher and higher. After winding through rugged terrain for three hours, they finally arrived at their destination by evening—Tianyan Salt Lake.

It was a salt lake Shu Fu had never heard of. Even when she opened her phone and checked the downloaded maps, she couldn’t find its location.

The bus drove through the entrance and rumbled across the uneven ground before pulling into a large warehouse beside a cluster of low buildings. This was the loading warehouse of the salt production area. Since there wasn’t much refined salt left, the warehouse had been repurposed as an indoor garage for their vehicles. It was spacious and sturdy, providing shelter from the wind and rain.

Next to the warehouse stood several rows of single-story buildings, mostly converted shipping containers. They had clearly been reinforced over time to withstand storms and hail.

These containers had originally served as worker housing—each one small, but equipped with a very basic bathroom. The bathrooms had sewage and water pipes, making them functional despite their simplicity. The rest of the space was a bedroom. Some had two sets of bunk beds for four occupants, while others had two single beds. Some even had a single bed along with a sofa and table, likely designated for workers of different ranks.

Besides the salt factory, this place had once been under development as a salt lake tourist site. However, even before the torrential rains came, construction had already stalled due to funding issues. When they discovered the place, it had long been abandoned. Inside the container homes, there were only scattered packaging waste and garbage—no useful supplies left behind.

Fortunately, the site still had self-generated electricity and underground water sources. Otherwise, survival here would have been impossible.

Now, each container home had been modified to suit their needs. There were more rooms than people, so they didn’t have to cram together. Most of the larger four-person rooms had been reorganized—one bunk bed removed to make space for sofas, tables, and other living necessities.

Families with more members occupied two connected units—one as a living space, the other as a bedroom.

Any extra bunk beds or unused furniture had been moved to the warehouse next door. The space was so vast that even with parked vehicles inside, there was still plenty of room to store various supplies and furnishings.

Thanks to Braidhead and Lu Ce’s animated storytelling, the townsfolk who had fled from Pincheng with Lu Zheng and Xu Tingfeng expressed their gratitude toward Shu Fu and her group. They hadn’t just rescued their people—they had also salvaged their supplies.

These supplies might be something they could abandon in a life-or-death situation, but once they made it past the ordeal with the mutant fish and returned to the salt lake, they still had to face the looming crisis of dwindling resources.

The townspeople even cleared out three container houses for the three of them, working together to tidy up the single beds, tables, and sofas—perhaps hoping to make their stay a bit more comfortable.

These three container houses were located in the row right behind Lu Zheng’s residence. No one was living there at the moment, so they remained vacant. They were also closer to the salt lake, making the area relatively quiet.

Shu Fu examined the internal layout of the container houses and the positioning of the doors before choosing the one on the farthest edge. Its bathroom was located at the outermost side, likely designed for shared use. The bathroom even had an exterior door facing the salt lake, suggesting it might have once been a communal shower facility.

She didn’t particularly care whether it was dirty or not—because she had already come up with a brilliant way to use it.

That evening, the townspeople hosted a small welcome dinner for the three of them in the warehouse. Seating was limited due to the food shortage, and aside from those who had evacuated with them from Lucheng, the former town mayor was also present.

The meal was simple: a few canned dishes, some coarse grain steamed buns, salted meat, and steamed salted fish. Given the abundance of salt in the area, any fresh food they obtained through trade in Lucheng was immediately preserved with salt to extend its shelf life. Salted meat and fish were especially good for making meals stretch—one piece of bread with a small chunk of meat could suffice for an entire meal.

There were also a few cans of beer on the table—private stock belonging to the mayor, who had carried them all the way during their escape and hadn’t been willing to part with them.

Xu Jiezhu was still unconscious, and the long-faced man, having previously cursed at Shu Fu, was too embarrassed to show up. He used his injuries as an excuse to turn in early.

Xu Tingfeng, however, did attend. He barely ate anything, likely because of the pain from his untreated wound. There were no painkillers available, but he endured it without a word, remaining at the table throughout the meal.

Shu Fu also ate very little. She had a habit of avoiding food from strangers, and after witnessing so much human and fish carnage that day, she had no appetite for salted meat or fish.

Chen Fa and Chen Yuezhen were the same. They had just stocked up on supplies through trade, so they weren’t immediately worried about food and water shortages. Plus, with their vehicle, they had more mobility to search for supplies if needed, preventing them from being completely passive.

But this dinner wasn’t really about the food—it was more of a gesture, a way for the mayor to formally welcome them. Their presence at the table was, in itself, a response to that gesture.

Both Braid Head and Big Guy were genuinely grateful to Shu Fu and each raised a toast to her. The cups were small, as beer was now a rare commodity—just a sip for the occasion. Shu Fu was able to drink a little, so she glanced at Chen Fa for confirmation.

Chen Fa declined, citing her injury as an excuse, while the grandmother also refused, saying she was too old to drink.

Of course, these were just surface-level reasons. The real message was clear: they wouldn’t drink, so they’d stay sober and have her back.

Reassured, Shu Fu clinked glasses with the two men and drank with them.

When they tried to pour her another drink, Lu Zheng intervened, stopping them. They had no choice but to give up, deciding to just drink on their own. However, before they could pour themselves more, Lu Zheng took the beer can away, poured himself a drink, and, instead of toasting Shu Fu, simply downed it himself.

She knew he had a lot of questions. From their unexpected reunion in Lucheng until now, they hadn’t had a proper chance to talk. So she took the initiative, pouring drinks for both of them and asking, “Want to go sit somewhere else and talk?”

The warehouse was huge. They left the table and moved to the other side, where furniture was stored, finding a table to sit at.

As for what had happened in Suicheng, she had briefly mentioned it in their WeChat conversations before. Since the details she had given Chen Fa differed slightly, she didn’t want to reinforce any conflicting narratives. So this time, she mainly focused on what happened after Lou Yuncheng, keeping her account consistent with what she had told Chen Fa.

She also briefly mentioned the mutant fish. Given that Lu Zheng was at the salt lake with no internet access, he actually knew even less than she did. She brought up the strange illness as well, but Lu Zheng was completely in the dark about it.

Fevers and colds were common ailments, and with a lack of medicine, it was understandable that some illnesses lingered without proper treatment.

But up to this point, aside from that unknown case in Tang Ping’s underground bunker, Shu Fu hadn’t personally encountered any infected individuals. Even Chen Fa had only seen one case during their evacuation. The families of the sick were keeping them hidden too well, making it difficult to gather information. As a result, when they talked about it, the whole thing sounded more like speculation.

“Could the two incidents actually be connected? What if they’re both caused by the mutant fish?” Lu Zheng was inclined to trust Shu Fu, but after barely surviving the ordeal in Lucheng, he didn’t want her to dwell on unsolvable problems. “Too bad there’s barely any internet signal here. Otherwise, we could at least look up more information.”

“I actually tried at the trade station,” Shu Fu replied. “But there wasn’t anything useful online—not even about today’s mutant fish attack. My guess is that these amphibious, group-attacking fish haven’t spread across Huaguo yet. We thought about issuing a warning, but the network was so poor that we couldn’t upload videos or images. Just posting a text warning wouldn’t get anyone’s attention…”

After all, the entire planet was in chaos. Tsunamis, hurricanes, and torrential rains were striking coastal areas almost daily. A single storm could claim hundreds or even thousands of lives.

Everyone’s gaze was focused on the land near the water, areas like the Northern Plateau that were relatively safe. With the communication blockade, the changes and fish disaster occurring in a small town were hardly worth mentioning.

“After today, things might be different,” Lu Zheng said, referring to Lucheng.

Even though it was just a third-tier city, Lucheng still had many survivors and refugees. More importantly, some areas of Lucheng had internet access, so those who survived the fish disaster today should be online spreading the news.

When it came to Lucheng, both Shu Fu and Lu Zheng believed that the city would face more chaos after the fish disaster, but it probably wouldn’t completely collapse.

After all, there were many solid buildings, and plenty of weaponry in various teams. The reason for the large casualties today was mainly the sudden appearance of the mutant fish—people panicked and were caught off guard, which led to the chaos.

But ultimately, mutant fish were not a contagious disease. Even if people were bitten, as long as they didn’t die, they could pick up weapons again and fight back.

There might be a period of confusion, perhaps a long one where regular supply trade couldn’t happen. Some people might die during this time, but the teams still had supplies and weapons. As long as they were willing to cooperate, they still had a chance of surviving.

Of course, Lu Zheng also had to consider another possibility: Lucheng might really not make it through.

This meant that the people living by the salt lake now would need to find a stable place to gather supplies once food began to run out again. But which area near Lucheng—or, for that matter, in the entire Lankou Province or Northern Plateau—could guarantee a stable supply of resources?

As the conversation continued, the mood grew heavier. Lu Zheng wisely changed the topic, smiling at Shu Fu. “Forget it, there’s no point in thinking too far ahead right now. Let’s just focus on getting through today and tomorrow.”

With that, he raised his glass to clink with hers and smoothly steered the conversation in a different direction. “The last time we drank together, I think it was raining heavily outside…”

“Really?” Shu Fu tried to recall the library, when they played cards and had instant noodles. Wait…did they drink together?

When was that? Why didn’t she remember?

“Yeah.” Lu Zheng seemed lost in thought, his eyes softening with nostalgia. “You probably don’t remember, but I was worried you wouldn’t be able to drive after drinking, and it was raining, so it would’ve been hard to get a cab…”

“…?” She was confused by what he said. Take a cab? Was it even possible to get a cab in Suicheng back then?

“I remember you wore a black dress that day. You looked beautiful—more beautiful than the leading lady sitting next to the director…”

The glass Shu Fu had raised to her lips froze in mid-air.

An eerie chill crawled up her spine and sank into her brain.

The smile at the corner of her lips slowly faded, and she felt like her neck had rusted, making it hard to turn her head. She looked back at him again, as if seeing something unbelievable. “You… What did you just say?”